Parties with a Purpose with Guest Clare Smith

It is our last day for guests here on our hospitality online study. But we aren’t done yet!

Be sure to tune in Monday when all the winners from the past three weeks’ posts will be announced and I’ll also have one other fun announcement that involves you! (Especially those of you still waiting for your books :-()

Today, meet my friend Clare Smith. I LOVE how she took an interest of hers and turned it into a way to reach out to others and host a party with a purpose. I hope her post inspires you to do the same!

Clare and her husband and 2 children live in Northeast Ohio. She has her bachelor’s degree in business management and left a promising career to be a stay-at-home mom to her children. She is a certified fitness instructor and teaches pilates and group fitness classes at her church and local university.

Clare’s passion (outside of raising and nurturing her children and home) is motivating women of all ages and stages of life to live well physically, emotionally and spiritually. Visit her at Peak313 and on Facebook!

From Clare’s heart:

I have to be honest with you. “Hospitality” isn’t one of my greatest strengths.

I get caught up in a lot of things that prevent me from doing it: the size of our house, the need for lots of food and the way that my house is (or isn’t) decorated.

However God has given me a way to exercise hospitality that makes me not think twice about any of those roadblocks via one of my passions—Pilates!

I am a group exercise instructor and one of the classes I teach is pilates at a local university. I’ve been doing it for almost 5 years and I never expected it to provide me an opportunity to minister to others in my home!

College students are usually in need of 2 things: a change of scenery and good food! (You remember that well, right?) So I take advantage of that and have them over once or twice a year and give them snacks here and there!

I’ve been able to use this time to encourage these college students by laughing with them, answering their questions or just listening to everything they have on their heart. It’s good for me to get out of my life and into someone else’s and I really enjoy talking with them.

I usually try and make them something around exam time and snack mixes have been a real hit! Here are 2 I’ve done before.

“Healthy Snack Mix”

And around Christmas time,

“Santa’s Snack Mix”

I also enjoy having them in the house for a small meal and break from their studies. Here we are last year!


Unfortunately they have to graduate, which makes me very sad, but thanks to modern technology, I keep in contact with many of them!
I’ve attended their graduations and even a wedding! It brings me such joy to be a part of their lives and I’m thankful that God has used something I love to be the vehicle in which to do that!

So today I ask you, is there someone that God has put in your path to encourage?
Maybe it’s through a very unique situation, or maybe the person themselves, is very “unique”.
Ask Him who you could reach out, put your arms around and invite into your home. You might be surprised at the answer you get!

Thanks Clare!

Ok girls–leave a comment telling us a group of people (or even a single person) that  you could either reach out to with a small gesture (like Clare’s snack mixes) or invite to your home for a get-together. With whom does your path naturally cross?

One of you will be chosen at random to win a $15 Target card to purchase some items to do just that!

Have a blessed Easter & we’ll see you Monday for the announcements!

143 Comments

  1. A couple of years ago I found out I have celiac disease and therefore have to eat gluten-free. I’ve always loved to bake and with trial/errors I have mastered baking a lot of things gluten-free and delicious. Anyways, I’ve met several other gals with celiac disease that work full-time so they don’t have that same extra time to do any baking, and they miss out on all the good treats at work. So, I’ve started bringing yummy baked things to them. So I guess my “group” is really a loose knit group of celiac gals. A teacher at my son’s school has been so appreciative and touched that I bring her cookies, she writes the nicest thank-you notes. I am so thankful that God has given me this gift and allowed me to connect with these people. I hope I can share God’s love to them through this!

    (P.S. I’ve read your book but am new to your blog, and am so glad I’ve found it. I do have a question about your giveaways, I don’t see on any of the posts when the giveaway ends or any post with the winners. Because of that, I’m unsure whether to comment on a previous day’s post or if the winner has already been chosen, just nothing posted.)

  2. In my current stage of life – children! I love to have fun with kids, mine and others. I spent the last week traveling with my 2 boys and my sister’s chilredn. In order to help them remember that it was Easter week, I took along our Resurrection Eggs and we opened 2 each day. But I also took along Easter Eggs filled with car snacks or small activities for kids in the car (matchbox cars fit well into the big eggs!) My nephew loved the change of activities each day and it became known as “Egg Time!” I also love playing games with kids, but not really board games, but games in the backyard, that are thought up on a moments notice. I try to always have drinks and snacks available for the kids.

  3. There are several groups I can think of: I work from home like many in my company. We get together once a month and there’s no reason I can’t do something nice (and inexpensive). Also, I’m a participant in Moms in Prayer and I could easily do something easy for our little group.

  4. I have a lot of friends that LOVE doing crafts (home decor, scarp booking, etc.). I could.. no, I should…. invite them over once a month to do a fun craft. I love the snack bag idea. I could let that be something we do. With all of these hospitallity lessons, I could apply these as little teachings and make print outs for everyone. Thank you for the inspiration!

  5. I love the idea of little baggies of snacks. It would be fun to randomly leave them on coworkers desks with a verse of encouragement for the day. :)

  6. I am a co-worship leader for our Wednesday night kidz program and my 3 daughters always have friends & cousins that we pick up and take with us. It would be SO much fun to do a little something for them like a little snack bag mix with a scripture! Can’t wait to do a little something extra for those precious lil’ ones!!

  7. The snack idea with the verse is an awesome idea. Everyone likes snacks. I could reach out to the college student workers that I work with.

  8. I have some co-workers that I would love to reach out to and invite to my home or reach out to with a nice jester. I love the idea of attaching Bible verses to it! It’s so simple but sends the true message of why you are doing it- I will be using this idea! Thanks!

  9. I would choose 2 of my daughters friends. Both are away at different colleges. One is questioning her faith, and is really struggling. The other is an athiest who is amazed that we are Christians. She has had some bad experiences with Christians, and it has pushed her away from wanting anything to do with Christ. She is open to being exposed to our faith, so we need to work with that. College kids love mail, so it should be an easy start.

  10. As a member of my Sunday School Class. We have sent care packages with snacks to the college students from our church as they prepare for finals.

  11. I work in a high school setting and I would allow students to come in during lunch to work on their homework, get help or just sit and chat if they didn’t want to go to the cafeteria. It was nice because I get to know the students better than I could in the short time I had the each day.

  12. I would love to do this for the Moms In Prayer group at my kids school. They pray for our children and school…they probably would love some encouragement.

  13. Just inspired today to make extra for a very busy friend who often doesn’t have time to cook for her husband: just a little tupperware container with enough for a meal for the two of them.

  14. This morning I was thinking how much I appreciate our church organist. She is the only one who plays the organ in our church, and she is there every Sunday without fail through two services. I feel the Lord has laid it on my heart to do something special for her. Now to think about what that might be….a loaf of homemade banana bread and a handwritten note, perhaps?

  15. This is a great idea to do with the gals I meet with for bookstudy….I’d like to do some of those scripture verse tags. Thank you for sharing.

  16. I am the coordinator of a prayer shawl making group of ladies at our church called “Hands In Prayer” or HIP as we like to be called.. Many of these ladies have or are currently going through trying circumstances and could use a little encouragement…who couldn’t? I am very glad that God led me to this study, it has been very uplifting and encouraging. God’s Blessings to all of this Easter day!

  17. Clare,
    Thank you for the goodie bag with scripture idea it’s wonderful and a great way to spread the Word. Today we are going to have Resurrection Biscuits with our meal. I wanted to go for something different after going through a divorce and wanted to break away from our tradition. My mom suggested Shepherd’s Pie because He is our good shepherd. We now have our new tradition for Easter. I am going to place some Bible verses in with the eggs so when the children find them they will have two goodies: one for their tummy and one for their heart. I will try to find something to do like that this morning. I usually send left overs home from the meal maybe I’ll write a verse on the container. Thanks everyone it has been so nice sharing ideas and gaining new ones. Have a blessed Easter!

  18. I can share snacks with families who are in waiting rooms of our local children’s hospital. Our granddaughter was in the hospital for 6 weeks before she died. There are many families like ours needing a friend to show they care at a time when a simple act of kindness can make all the difference in the world

  19. I love the snack bag idea with Bible verses attached! I’m thinking I could use this idea for my sons’ teachers, my husband’s co-workers, and my Bible study group.

  20. This could easily be done for my kids teachers at school. Would be great for a “just because” day or even on a teacher work day. Have loved reading all the great ideas that others have shared as well. Sad to see this study coming to an end, but so happy to start putting it all into practice.

  21. Great idea! I’d love to make this for our monthly moms get together. Or to friends that may need a pick me up.

  22. I am having my GMG group meeting in person for the first time next week. I would love to make a cute little snack mix for them! Thanks for the idea. I better get cracking!

  23. We have a large home and are empty nesters. Our home is always open to the young people of our church. Recently when we had 9-10 young men spending the weekend, we served them a 48″ pizza that was demolished within 10 min.

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